■,nA 


■ REPORT  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  MECHANIC 

MSS*'  \‘ 

ARTS  OF  CORNELL  UNIVERSITY. 


From  the  Proceedings  of  the  University  Convocation,  held  at  Albany,  N.Y. 
July  7th,  8th  and  9th,  1874. 


Department  of  Mechanic  Arts,  Cornell  University.  137 


REPORT  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  MECHANIC  ARTS  OF 
CORNELL  UNIVERSITY. 


This  department  was  organized  at  the  very  opening  of  the  univer- 
sity, with  the  view  of  complying  with  the  requirements  of  the  fourth 
section  of  chapter  130  of  the  laws  of  congress,  passed  in  1862. 

The  provision  of  the  act  is,  that  in  all  the  colleges  which  receive 
the  benefit  of  the  grant  “ the  leading  object  shall  be,  without  ex- 
cluding other  scientific  and  classical  studies,  and  including  military 
tactics,  to  teach  such  branches  of  learning  as  are  related  to  agricul- 
ture and  the  mechanic  arts,  in  such  manner  as  the  legislatures  of  the 
States  may  respectively  prescribe,  in  order  to  promote  the  liberal 
and  practical  education  of  the  industrial  classes  in  the  several  pur- 
suits and  professions  of  life.” 

44  Professorships  of  industrial  mechanics  and  physics,  civil  engi- 
neering, mathematics,  languages  (French  and  German),  and  practical 
mechanics  were  early  established  and  filled.  Professorships  of  archi- 
tecture, shop-practice  and  free-hand  drawing  have  since  been  added. 
Models  illustrating  mechanical  movements,  motions,  etc.,  models  of 
engineering  and  architecture  have  been  imported  or  manufactured 
in  our  shops.  A large  amount  of  well-selected  machinery  has 
been  acquired,  and,  in  1870,  the  Hon.  Hiram  Sibley,  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  provided  for  the  erection  of  a special  building  for  the  use  of 
the  department.  He  also  gave  $10,000  for  increasing  its  equip- 
ment, and  has  since  increased  his  gifts,  thus  placing  it  in  a con- 
dition to  do  its  work  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner. 

44  There  are  now  closely  connected  with  the  lecture  rooms  in  which 
the  theoretical  side  of  mechanics  is  presented,  other  rooms  for  the 
designing  and  manufacture  of  working  models  and  machinery,  fitted 
with  power  and  appliances  for  working  in  wood  and  the  metals,  in 
which  the  practical  side  is  presented. 

44  The  machine-shop  is  conducted  wholly  as  a means  of  instruction, 
and  each  student  in  the  department  of  mechanics  is  required  to 
devote  at  least  two  hours  per  day  to  work  in  the  shop,  without 
pecuniary  compensation  for  his  labor,  where  he  will  not  only  obtain 
theory  and  practice  combined,  but  will  also  have  opportunities  to 
construct,  as  well  as  use,  tools  of  the  greatest  accuracy. 

18 


138 


University  Convocation. 


“ Each  candidate  for  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  mechanical  engineer- 
ing will  be  required  to  design  or  construct  some  machine  or  piece 
of  apparatus,  or  conduct  a series  of  experiments  approved  by  the 
department,  and  such  as  promise  to  be  of  public  utility. 

“ Practice  will  be  given  in  work  of  the  best  kind,  as  well  as  com- 
prehensive demonstration  of  the  principles  of  mechanism  and  ex- 
perience in  the  best  methods  of  working.”  (Registers,  1873-74.) 

The  department  has  for  its  special  use  a fine  stone  building,  known 
as  the  Sibley  building.  It  is  100  feet  by  42  feet,  three  stories  and 
basement,  with  engine-room  36  feet  by  20  feet,  at  its  rear.  It  con- 
tains six  rooms  38x40,  two  on  each  floor.  The  two  upper  rooms  are 
devoted  to  free-hand  and  mechanical  drawing ; both  are  well  equipped 
with  tables,  draughting  stands,  models,  designs,  etc.  The  two  rooms 
on  the  second  floor  are  lecture  or  recitation  rooms,  so  arranged  that 
they  can  be  thrown  into  one.  They  are  furnished  with  seats  of  an 
approved  style  (with  rests  for  note-taking  during  lectures),  black- 
boards, cases  containing  models,  etc.  On  the  same  floor,  and  over 
the  engine-room,  are  two  private  rooms  or  studies  for  professors. 

The  two  rooms  on  the  first  floor  are  devoted  to  the  printing-office 
and  machine-shop. 

The  engine-room  contains  a steam-engine,  a grinding-machine, 
steam-heating  apparatus,  etc. 

The  machine-shop  contains  60  feet  of  improved  work-benches 
(fitted  with  drawers  for  containing  small  tools,  working  clothes  of 
students,  with  vises,  punch  and  shears,  gas-burners,  soldering,  etc.), 
five  lathes,  two  planers,  one  shaping-machine,  one  universal  milling- 
machine,  one  drill-press,  two  grinding-machines,  and  a novel  steam- 
engine  of  25  horse-power,  the  invention  of  Professor  J.  E. 
Sweet.  The  shop  is  also  well  supplied  with  small  tools,  such  as  the 
Morse  twist  drills,  from  No.  60  to  two  inches  in  diameter,  reamers 
both  “ flutted  ” and  “ flat,”  from  one-quarter  inch  to  two  inches,  hard- 
ened steel  mandrils  ground  to  Whitworth’s  gauge,  same  sizes,  ham- 
mers, wrenches,  files,  etc. 

The  printing-office  contains  two  power  presses  for  book  and  other 
work,  and  one  small  foot-press,  two  cutting  machines,  three  compos- 
ing tables,  twelve  cases,  about  150  fonts  of  type,  varying  in  size, 
from  small  fancy  fonts  to  fonts  of  600  pounds,  including  fonts  for 
mathematical,  German,  Greek  and  Portuguese  work. 

The  department  has  also  a wood- working  shop,  28x75  feet,  two 
stories  high,  situated  at  the  rear  of  the  Sibley  building,  and  contain- 
ing work-benches,  etc.,  for  carpenter  and  cabinet  work. 


Department  of  Mechanic  Arts,  Cornell  University.  139 

During  the  summer,  slitting,  cross-cutting  and  jig-saws,  a planing- 
machine,  and  wood-turning  lathes,  will  be  placed  in  this  building. 

The  power  for  driving  the  machinery  is  obtained  from  a turbine 
water  wheel,  placed  in  the  gorge  of  Fall  creek,  about  750  feet  distant 
from  and  200  feet  lower  than  the  Sibley  building,  and  is  transmitted 
by  means  of  an  endless  wire  cable  about  1,600  feet  long.  The  same 
turbine  drives  a gang-pump  also  in  the  gorge,  which  forces  water 
to  the  university  buildings,  the  farthest  of  which  (the  Sage)  is  nearly 
one-half  mile  from  the  pumps. 

The  department  of  architecture  has  its  lecture,  model  and  draught- 
ing rooms  in  the  McGraw  building. 

The  department  of  civil  engineering  has  its  lecture,  draughting 
and  apparatus  rooms  temporarily  in  the  chemical  laboratory  building. 

The  direction  of  the  department  of  mechanics  is  placed  in  charge 
of  “ The  Faculty  of  Sibley  College  of  Mechanic  arts,”  which  faculty 
is  composed  of  President  White,  chairman,  Professor  practical 
mechanics,  dean  ; Professor  Sweet,  master  mechanic  ; Prof.  Cleaves^ 
free-hand  drawing;  Professor  Anthony,  industrial  mechanics  and 
physics;  Professor  Babcock,  architecture ; Professor  Fuertes,  civil 
engineering,  and  Professor  Oliver,  mathematics. 

The  instruction  embraces  three  courses,  as  follows : 

First.  A special  course  has  been  arranged  for  such  young  men  as 
have  a fair  knowledge  of  the  machinist’s  trade,  who  desire  to 
better  prepare  themselves  for  “foreman”  or  leading  positions  in 
their  business.  Such  students  may  enter  the  department  without 
passing  entrance  examination,  but  are  required  to  devote  five  hours 
per  day  to  shop-practice,  and  four  hours  daily  to  machine  or  free- 
hand draughting. 

The  instruction  in  shop-practice  embraces  the  study  and  construc- 
tion of  gearing  and  link  work,  strength  and  proportion  of  parts, 
accurate  surfaces  (such  as  face  plates,  straight  edges,  right  angles), 
shop  accounts,  etc. 

In  this  course,  students  are  allowed  the  use  of  the  library,  the  same 
as  all  other  students,  and  to  attend  such  lectures  and  recitations  as 
they  are  prepared  to  appreciate  and  comprehend  ; such  attendance 
is  not  obligatory,  but  a student  registering  for  a course  of  lectures 
or  recitations  must  attend  and  pass  the  same  term  examinations  as 
regular  students.  On  leaving  the  university,  a certificate  of  pro- 
ficiency, attendance,  etc.,  only,  is  granted. 

Second.  An  optional  course  under  the  direction  of  the  dean.  In 
this  course,  entrance  examinations  in  grammar,  geography,  arith- 
metic and  algebra,  through  quadratics,  are  required. 


140 


U N1 VERSITY  Con  VO  c a ti  on. 


Attendance  upon  ten  (10)  lectures  or  recitations  per  week,  or  their 
equivalent,  in  addition  to  two  hours  daily  shop-practice,  two  hours 
daily  in  drawing,  and  the  passing  of  the  examinations  at  the  close  of 
each  term,  are  necessary  to  remaining  in  the  university. 

Third.  A four  years  or  full  course,  upon  the  satisfactory  completion 
of  which  the  student  is  entitled  to  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  mechan- 
ical engineering. 

The  entrance  examinations  for  this  year  are  the  same  as  the  pre- 
ceding, but  hereafter  six  books  of  geometry  in  addition  will  be  re- 
quired. 

This  course  of  study  embraces : 

In  Mathematics  : 

Algebra,  geometry  and  conic  sections.  Trigonometry  (plane 
and  spherical.)  Analytical  geometry  (of  two  and  three 
dimensions).  Descriptive  geometry  (with  shades,  shadows, 
etc.)  Calculus  (differential  and  integral). 

In  Languages  : 

Daily  recitations,  readings  or  conversations,  in  French  for 
one  year.  The  same  in  German.  Or  two  years  either 
French  or  German.  In  English,  rhetoric  and  composition, 
twice  per  week  for  two  terms. 

In  Physics  : 

Two  lectures  per  week  during  second  year.  Three  lectures 
per  week  during  third  year,  and  eight  (8)  hours  per  week, 
one  term  in  physical  laboratory  practice. 

In  Chemistry  : 

Three  lectures  per  week  for  two  terms,  and  four  hours  per 
week  laboratory  practice. 

The  remainder  of  the  course  is  devoted  to  the  special  study  of 
mechanics.  The  instruction  being  by  lectures  and  recitations  using 
for  text-books,  Rankine  on  Steam-engine,  Applied  Mechanics,  Ma- 
chinery and  Mill  Work,  Willis’  Principles  of  Mechanism,  Warren’s 
Machine  Construction  and  Drawing,  Auchincloss  on  Valve  and 
Link-Motion,  Weisbach’s  Mechanics,  etc. 

The  lectures  embrace  courses  on  “ The  Strength  and  Preservation 
of  Materials,”  “ The  Materials  employed  in  Mechanical  Construc- 
tion ” (such  as  cast  and  wrought  iron,  steel,  zinc,  tin,  lead,  copper, 
and  alloys),  “ Shop  Practices,”  “Shop  Accounts,”  “Arrangement 


Department  of  Mechanic  Arts r,  Cornell  University.  141 

and  management  of  Shop  and  Machinery,”  “Care  and  use  of  Tools,” 
“ Architecture,”  and  a special  course  of  “ Laboratory  Practice  in 
Metallurgy  and  Mineralogy.” 

The  course  in  drawing  embraces,  two  hours  daily  in  free-hand, 
one  year. 

The  same  amount  in  linear  drawing,  projections  (orthographic  and 
isometric),  and  model  drawing. 

Two  hours  daily  in  mechanical  draughting,  with  shading,  tinting, 
lettering,  etc.,  in  all  making  a complete  course  of  two  hours  daily, 
extending  throughout  the  four  years. 

The  same  amount  of  shop-practice  is  required,  but  the  shop  is 
open  and  in  operation  during  the  month  of  July  each  year.  Stu- 
dents are  advised  to  avail  themselves  of  the  privilege  of  working  in 
the  shop  during  that  month,  many  of  them  doing  so. 

In  order  to  accomplish  the  amount  of  instruction  named,  the  entire 
time,  five  hours  daily,  of  Prof.  Cleaves  is  devoted  to  the  drawing- 
room ; of  Prof.  Sweet,  ten  hours  daily  to  shop-practice ; of  the  dean, 
three  to  five  hours  daily  in  lectures,  recitations  and  mechanical 
draughting. 

For  instruction  in  mathematics,  languages,  physics,  chemistry,  etc., 
the  students  in  mechanics  attend  the  same  class-room  exercises  as 
students  in  other  departments,  passing  the  same  examinations. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

J.  L.  MORRIS,  Dean. 

Course  of  study  for  the  full  course  of  four  years,  in  the  depart- 
ment of  mechanic  arts  of  Cornell  University,  arranged  by  year  and 
term,  together  with  the  number  of  recitations  per  week : 

First  Year  — First  Term  — Recitations  per  week. 


Mathematics  (geometry) 5 

Languages  (French  or  German) 5 

Free-hand  drawing,  2 hours  daily 3-J 

Shop-practice 3£ 

17 


Second  Term  — Recitations  per  week. 


Mathematics  (geometry  and  conic  sections) 5 

Languages  (French  or  German) 5 

Free-hand  drawing 3-J- 

Shop-practice 3^ 


17 


142 


University  Convocation. 


Third  Term  — Recitations  per  week 

Mathematics  (algebra  completed) 5 

Languages  (French  or  German) 5 

Linear  drawing,  etc 31 

Shop-practice 31 

17 

* Second  Year  — First  Term  — Recitations  per  week. 

Mathematics  (trigonometry  and  mensuration) 4 

Languages  (German  or  French) 3 or  5 

Chemistry  (with  laboratory  practice) 3 

Physics  (experimental  mechanics) 2 

Shop-practice 31 

151  or  171 

Second  Term  — Recitations  per  week. 

Mathematics  (analytical  geometry) 4 

Languages  (German  or  French) 3 or  5 

Chemistry  (with  laboratory  practice) 3 

Physics  (electricity  and  magnetism) 2 

Shop-practice SI- 

151-  or  171- 

Third  Term  — Recitations  per  week. 

Mathematics  (diff.  calculus) 5 

Languages  (German  or  French) 3 or  5 

Physics  (electricity  and  magnetism) 2 

Mechanical  drawing,  6 hours  per  week 2 

Shop-practice 31 

15J  or  171- 

Third  Year  — First  Term — Recitations  per  week. 

Mathematics  (int.  calculus) 5 

Descriptive  geometry 5 

Physics  (heat) 3 

.Rhetoric  and  composition 2 

SI  lop-practice 3J 

18|- 


*In  this  year,  if  a student  continues  the  study  of  the  language  studied  in  his  first 
year,  three  recitations  per  week  will  only  be  required,  hence  languages  are  marked  3 or  5. 


Department  of  Mechanic  Arts,  Cornell  University.  143 


Second  Term  — Recitations  per  weelc. 

Physics  (heat  and  acoustics) 3 

Machine  construction  and  drawing 4 

Principles  of  mechanism 5 

Rhetoric  and  composition 2 

Shop-practice 3* 

m 

Third  Term  — Recitations  per  weelc. 

Machine  construction  and  drawing 4 

Steam-engine 4 

Mill-work,  lectures,  etc 4 

Shop-practice 3* 

15* 

Fourth  Year  — First  Term  — Recitations  per  weelc. 

Applied  mechanics  (W eisbach) 5 

Machine  drawing 4 

Water-wheels,  lectures,  etc 4 

Shop-practice 31- 

161- 

Second  Term  — Recitations  per  week. 

Designing  machinery 4 

Physical  laboratory  practice 4 

Applied  mechanics 5 

Shop-practice 3* 

16* 

Third  Term  — Recitations  per  week. 

Architecture 2 

Field  practice  with  level,  transit,  etc 3 

Special  study 4 

W orking  draughts 4 

Shop-practice  and  preparation  of  thesis 4 


17 

mO.  L.  MORRIS,  Dean. 

Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  jY  Y., 

July  1,  1874. 


144 


University  Convocation. 


NEW  SCHEME  OF  THE  FUNCTIONS  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY. 


By  Professor  Thomas  S.  Lambert,  M.  D.,  LL.  D., 
of  the  Claverack  Academy  and  Hudson  River  Institute. 


Some  points  that  I shall  present  are  new  and  cannot  fail  to  have 
intense  interest  and  value ; many  of  the  points  are  old  established 
truths,  which  are  recapitulated  because  they  will  receive  new  light 
from  the  new  ideas,  and  in  combination  with  them  they  will 
induce  additional  thoughts  and  deductions  which  will  themselves  be 
new  data  and  bases  for  further  advances. 

Some  of  my  deductions  you  would  accept ; with  others  you  may 
not  at  once  agree,  but  you  will  accept  the  facts  which  alone  for  the 
most  part,  time  will  allow  to  present. 

I shall  have  served  the  purpose  I now  have  in  view  if  I shall 
throw  out  a few  seed- thoughts  which  your  own  reflection  and  judg- 
ment will  enable  you  to  bring  to  full  fruitage,  since  you  are  more 
capable  of  making  deductions  for  yourselves  than  I am  of  making 
them  for  you.  Dr.  Cruikshank  made  a good  bon  mot  when  he  said  : 
“ I esteem  that  man  most  fortunate  who,  when  he  has  done  all  he 
can,  has  inspired  others  to  do  better  than  he  could  do  himself.”  This 
is  the  point  I have  in  view  in  presenting  this  subject  before  this 
learned  body  of  thoughtful  men  and  women. 

We  readily  notice  that  most  of  the  organs  of  the  body  have  had 
names  given  to  their  functions,  which  we  perceive  to  be  essential  to 
properly  understanding  them,  and  for  advancing  or  communicating 
our  knowledge  in  regard  to  them,  e.  y.,  the  function  of  the  stomach 
is  called  digestion  ; that  of  the  lungs,  respiration  ; that  of  the  heart 
and  blood  vessels,  circulation.  But  when  we  come  to  some  of  the 
most  important  of  all  the  organs  in  the  body,  we  are  surprised  to 
find  that  no  name  has  been  given  to  their  functions  ; and  when  we 
speak  about  them  we  must  use  circumlocution,  and  that  of  a very 
indefinite  character. 

The  result  of  this  is  as  might  be  expected,  that  the  greatest  con- 
fusion exists  in  regard  to  the  functions  of  those  important  organs, 
and  but  little  progress  has  been  made  in  a direction  which,  of  all 
others,  great  progress  is  desirable. 


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